For the past month or so I've noticed a drop or two of urine on the toilet seat after mom leaves the bathroom (she lives with me). I think she may be standing sideways so she can hold on to the commode because one of her knees bothers her sometimes. She has mild to moderate dementia. Do I bring it up to mom to remind her to check the seat if she's going to stand? If she is in fact standing. This way she can wipe the seat. Or, should I let it go and clean it off myself which is what I've been doing? I don't want to embarrass her but I don't want it to continue either. Knowing my mom she wouldn't want to "not know" but still......it's a sensitive subject. I've sat in it more than a few times (if I forget to check).......blah...... That, and my daughter noticed the other day mom's wipes had poop on them.....in the package and on the package......I certainly hope mom's washing her hands thoroughly.......double blah........ Anyone else dealing with this?
You can mention it to her and she may remember to wipe the seat but it sounds to be part of a bigger problem if she also gets poop everywhere. I think you just have to go in with or after her each time. if you have poop on your hands you really do need to use soap and water sanitizer is not enough. If she gets out before you catch her take her back and make her wash and use disinfectant wipes on everything she may have touched. Do this routinely after she goes to bed anyway. She will lie this is simply reverting to childlike behavior or regression - it happens! Would it be possible to make one of the bathrooms for her use only? If there is one up and one down everyone can use the up one and give Mom a bedside commode for the night. She sounds as though she can still understand an explanation so you can explain it to her. As far as getting on and off the toilet a raised toilet is a good idea but she still has to raise herself so I would suggest one of the frames that goes over the toilet and screws under the seat so it is very stable. The plastic raised seats don't seem very secure. The frame will give her two arms to raise herself on. One grab bar is rarely enough. It takes two hands to get up - personal experience!
Can you use her knee pain as the excuse to go with her? "To make sure she doesn't get stuck" kind of thing? Also, I'm not quite sure how it started happening, but at some point I found that I was washing my hands at the same time as my mother did which led naturally to giving hers an extra going over too. The idea of coming from the bathroom to the dining table without clean hands brought me out in a cold sweat: I'm not sure I even asked her permission!
Is the seat the right height for her? When we had my mother's bathroom installed, we got a loo with a "comfort height" seat to it, to avoid having to get one of those plastic things that clip on (though I expect the good versions are useful, too). Sitting on it yourself is a slightly disconcerting experience, but I know it's been really helpful for my mother.
If standing at the sink to wash is hard work for her, get a perching stool. But then you really will have to accompany her to the bathroom because it'll need moving to and fro, and tripping over it could be a falls risk.
Sigh. One solution, two more problems. There's no winning...
My mom leaves puddles of urine about a foot away from the toilet. I think she forgets to wipe and then stands up and turns around to flush the toilet. When doing this she is dripping urine on the floor.
Today mom once again got feces all over the toilet roll holder, the seat covers, the toilet handle and she wasn't washing her hands after going.
I have started going in immediately after my mother flushes and to see what the conditions are. I remind her to wash her hands every time. Sometimes she will fib and say that she has washed them but the soap isn't wet so I have her wash again.
Think about all the places that your mother touches after going to the bathroom and not washing her hands. Light switches, stair railings, etc. Those are the things that will need to be cleaned after each use. We found it was easier to make sure she washes her hands afterward.
We also keep lysol popup wipes in each of the bathrooms and use them after each use when we notice dripping.
It is a big blah.....